Make it paper

A recent interactive papermaking demonstration at the Carter Burden/Leonard Covello Senior Program gave members the chance to roll up their sleeves, pour out some pulp and create their own oversized piece of art.

The demonstration on Wed., June 18, was provided by Ann Kronenberg, the program’s official artist-in-residence, to the group of East Harlem seniors.

Kronenberg gave attendees a brief lesson on the history on papermaking, invented in 105 A.D.

She then invited seniors to pour different colors of cotton pulp into a wooden frame, known as a deckle, to create a swirling pattern. A series of five-foot by three-foot sheets were pressed using attendees’ own body weight, and decorated.

Participant Gloria Riley, who frequently attends workshops at the Senior Program, said she was amazed to witness the papermaking technique in person.

“It’s interesting to see first-hand how this is done,” she remarked.

Colored buckets of pulp.

The Carter Burden/Leonard Covello Senior Program, located in a large facility on East 109th Street, provides recreational activities, meals and education for New Yorkers age 60 and over.

Program Director Esther Sánchez-Polanco said that seniors must register as members to attend activities at the site, but the services are provided to them free of charge, with the exception of certain field trips.

Currently, breakfast and lunch are served each weekday for a nominal fee. Dinner service will be added later this summer, as will other expanded services.

“We’re now open on weekdays only, but later this year, our activities will be expanded to Saturdays and Sundays too,” said Liz Curtin, a Teaching Artist at the facility.

The Senior Program is run by The Carter Burden Center for the Aging, Inc., a non-profit agency established in 1971 by the late New York City Council Member Carter Burden.

“Most of our members are neighborhood residents, but we have one guy who comes all the way from Brooklyn because he enjoys it so much,” said Sánchez-Polanco.

The art workshops are held as part of the programming at the Macy’s Creative Arts Center.

The Senior Program received a boost from Macy’s in 2013, as the retailer chose to aid the facility for one of its “community give-back” days.

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